Optical fibers used in sensors and other optical circuits that use concatenated segments require stable alignments between the segments to ensure and maintain exemplary circuit performance. Fusion splicing, a controlled heating and joining of the segment ends, provides this stability in the x, y, and z dimensions, and in rotational azimuth around the fiber axis.
Optical fibers may be fusion spliced together to form an optical circuit between optical components. After fusion splicing optical components together to form an optical circuit, a length of optical fiber naturally separates the optical components. For most developmental circuits, the length and disposition of the optical fiber between the optical components is of little consequence. However, for fiber optic sensors, which may contain optical sources, detectors, electronic circuitry and a few kilometers of fiber in packages of only 100 cubic inches, providing space for the fiber interconnecting components has proven difficult.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide a new and improved optical circuit and new and improved methods of manufacturing and stowing an optical circuit.
It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a new and improved optical circuit that is compact and easy to stow.
It is another purpose of the present invention to provide new and improved methods of manufacturing and stowing an optical circuit that are easy to implement.
It is another purpose of the present invention to provide new and improved methods of manufacturing and stowing an optical circuit that are reliable.
It is still another purpose of the present invention to provide new and improved methods of manufacturing and stowing an optical circuit that are highly efficient.
It is a further purpose of the present invention to minimize the impact of optical fiber stowage on the mechanical layout of fiber optic sensors and other apparatus having fiber optic circuitry.